snow on sunday. that will be a big, big change. >> sunday is march 1st. >> it is. >> about time we get snow and rain. lester holt is next. >> we'll be back at:00, ho 6:00. hope to see you then, bye. breaking news tonight, the deadly workplace shooting at a major beer company multiple people killed at the molson coor complex in milwaukee law enforcement officials say the gunman, a fired employee went on a rampage. the massive police response employees on lockdown. the images just coming in also, the coronavirus crisis, president trump coming before the cameras tonight to address the nation his administration under fire for its response after days of mixed messaging. plus, we go inside the high security lab. >> inside this lab here is where we keep the live virus. >> reporter: the live virus? >> the live virus, yes. >> reporter: the first human trial for a

treatment as the outbreak spreads. the critical battle for south carolina, bernie sanders facing new attacks after that fiery debate and what nancy pelosi said about some democrats' fears a sanders' nomination could cost them the house a major winter storm on the move from the midwest to the northeast. a number of blizzard warnings issued. some could get a foot of snow. al roker will time it out. the nhl star speaking out for the first time since he collapsed during a game what he's saying about that scary moment caught on camera and what was revealed about his future on the ice.e price you pay this tax season. the scams the price you pay this tax season. the scams to be on the lookout for. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening breaking tonight, a mass shooting in milwaukee has left multiple people dead the dreaded alert we've come to know, active shooter sending police tactical teams racing to the molson coors beverage campu

and schools and nearby businesses placed into lockdown during a gunman's deadly rampage. nbc's kathy park has made her way to the scene and starts us off with the latest. kathy, what can you tell us? >> reporter: lester, six people were killed including the gunman there is no longer a threat the gunfire erupted at the molson coors beverage company in milwaukee. >> shooter still at large. >> reporter: police responded to calls of an active shooter. law enforcement officials say the gunman was recently fired, five employees of the company were killed in the bloodshed. police found the shooter dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. >> five individuals who went to work today just like everybody thought they were going to go to work, finish their day and return to their families

they didn't and tragically they never will >> reporter: with heavily armed tactical teams flooding the area, officers with long guns stormed buildings, employees on lockdown told to hide anywhere they could, alerted of what police call a critical incident as others nearby were told to shelter in place including several schools. >> this has never been anything i thought would happen around here >> reporter: not far from marquette university, molson coors company sits on a sprawling campus with more than 1,000 employees. >> we should never grow comfortable with these tragedies. >> reporter: tonight another active shooter terrorizing a commune and more lives lost it will take several hours for them to complete their roll call executives with molson coors are on their way to the skene lester

now to breaking news to the coronavirus and efforts to prevent the spread in the u.s. president trump holding a news conference at the white house. jeff bennett is there with details what do we know? >> reporter: the president clearly wanted to show the american people his administration is in control properly handling his response after days of mixed messages the president addressed the country from the press briefing room joined by the vice president and flanked by the coronavirus task force. president trump said the risk posed by the virus remains low and that his administration is fully prepared to handle the threat. >> we're very, very ready for this for anything, whether it's going to be a breakout of larger proportions or whether or not we're, you know, we're at that very low level and we want to keep it that way. >> reporter: the president also announced that vic

president mike pence will take over administration's coronavirus response and that the administration would add additional staff president trump trying to ease public concern over the risks of coronavirus and stem a stock market slide as the disease continues to spread around the globe. lester >> jeff bennett at the white house tonight, thank you. meanwhile, the number of coronavirus cases worldwide reached nearly 81,000 with roughly 3,000 deaths here in the u.s. officials confirmed a new case as cities make preparations to stop the virus from spreading. here is tom costello. >> reporter: at the university of nebraska medical center, the first human trial for a coronavirus treatment is underway. the first patient, one of 14 cruise ship passengers from japan now undergoing treatment in omaha eventually 400 patients will be in the trial worldwide. >> these are the people that will potentially have a more severe disease, potentially even be a life-threatening situation. >> reporter: though, the nation's health experts caution a vaccine may not be widely available for

12 to 18 months. >> if this cycles and comes back next year, then having a vaccine a year and a year a and a half from now will be very applicable. >> reporter: the latest numbers from the cdc, 60 known coronavirus cases in the u.s., though that number is expected to grow the hhs secretary on capitol hill. >> the risk right now is very low to americans from a public health perspective, we technically are in a state of containment in the united states. >> reporter: at holy may medical center in new jersey, the medical staff is already preparing. >> want to make sure you're pulling the cuff of the glove up over the entire sleeve. >> reporter: reviewing protocols for keeping a contagious virus from spreading including air sealed treatment rooms. >> any staff that went into that room would wear appropriate gloves, goggles, masks and gowns. with appropriate hand washing. >> reporter: while san francisco has no reports of coronavirus yet, the mayor has declared a state of emergency to free up resources. other big city mayors

trying to reassure the public. >> right now we have 1,200 hospital bed that we can make available immediately. for any individual who is in the testing process or who tests positive or needs isolation in a hospital setting. >> in the event that we need to ramp up quarantining, we're absolutely prepared to do that. >> reporter: universities across the country are suspending their study abroad programs in hard-hit italy and asia university of illinois students carly and grace have left italy and are now in vienna not sure where they are going next. >> so i'm actually really freaked out the first time in my life i felt like i don't know where i'm going to be next week. >> reporter: the coronavirus threat still looming large. >> tom there has bee confusion whether or not there are enough protective masks and gowns in the event of an outbreak. what's the reality check on that? >> reporter: new york city today said it's asking the federal government to get more protective equipment so that it's prepared. the fda says there is

no shortage of masks, of gowns, of gloves right now. it has 30 million stockpiled but if there were a true pandemic, it might need ten times that many right now, though, it is not sounding the alarm bell on that. >> we don't want to sound fearful but need to be prepared thank you, tom we're gaining new insights into the evolution of the coronavirus thanks to the work of a leading scientist studying the virus and the animals that probably transmitted it richard engel spoke with her exclusively today in singapore >> reporter: outside central singapore is an animal research lab where scientists have isolated the purest form of the coronavirus that causes covid-19 and keep it locked under the strictest of security >> so now we're going into the main lab and inside this lab here is where we keep the live virus. >> reporter: the live virus? >> the live virus. >> reporter: the most dangerous thing you have at this facility? >> exactly this is the virus isolated from the sick patients and now it's

housed here. >> reporter: australian dr. danielle anderson is one of the world's top viralogists. with 20 years worked in the field at prestigious universities what surprised you about this virus >> the spread of this is really, really surprising we've seen outbreaks in the past. we think we know what we're doing, and so for me it's a really, really big surprise. >> reporter: why is it spreading so quickly >> so it seems that it's extremely contagious and it's not airborne but it is contagious. >> reporter: dr. anderson took me to another part of the facility to show me where the virus came from bats, bats gathered in china for food a vet here captured one and in a containment cage, she showed it to me. why bats how confident are you that the coronavirus came from bats >> probably 90% confident the new coronavirus came from bats.

>> reporter: the initial contamination she says likely happened here at a filthy animal market in wuhan, china. someone there she believes butchered a bat, came into contact with its blood or urine and then touched his or her mouth or nose we know the rest outbreaks still spreading around the world. in south korea, they're disinfecting public transport in china, authorities promise to crack dow hard on the wildlife trade and they're preparing to take containment to a new level. this video shows security forces training to capture a suspected infected person, a sign of what could be coming. do you think it's going to keep spreading? >> i think that it is heading towards becoming a pandemic, yes. we have to work hard for a vaccine and learn to live with the virus and i think it's just going to become part of our life. >> reporter: richard engel, nbc news, singapore. just three days

now until the critical showdown for democrats in south carolina. bernie sanders trying to build on his momentum as the front-runner after a fiery debate where he was the top target our kristen welker is there tonight. >> reporter: today a surging bernie sanders making his pitch to african-americans in south carolina >> we're going to bring people together. >> reporter: it comes after sanders got the front-runner treatment in tuesday's ruckus debate, rivals piling on including over his controversial comments about fidel castro. >> what i said is what barack obama said in terms of cuba. that cuba made progress on education. >> we're not going to win these critical, critical house and senate races if people in those races have to explain why the nominee of the democratic party is telling people to look at the bright side of the castro regime. >> reporter: today, sanders getting backup from house speaker nancy pelosi.

>> will you be okay if bernie sanders is the nominee? >> yes. >> do you have any concerns you could lose the majority? >> no. >> reporter: meanwhile, south carolina could be make or break for joe biden who is leading here and today getting a prominent endorsement from top democrat congressman jim clyburn. >> we know jim and jim knows us. >> reporter: later biden going after sanders with nbc's craig melvin. >> he's not going to come anywhere near generating the participation of young folks that barack did in 2008. >> reporter: billionaire former new york mayor michael bloomberg blasted by elizabeth warren over an ex-bloomber employee accusation when she announced she was pregnant, bloomberg said to get an abortion, something he has denied under oath. >> at least i didn't have a boss who said to me, kill it. >> never said it, period, end of story >> reporter: tonight, democrats weighing in on the intense attacks.

>> stop the fighting and let's all come together in order to accomplish this goal, which is to beat donald trump >> there needs to be a certain amount of fisticuffs to a degree to see who can take on trump. >> reporter: the latest poll shows 9% of democrats are undecided with saturday's contest the last chance to grab momentum before super tuesday. lester >> kristen, thanks we'll be back in 60 seconds with the surprise turn of a tragic death of a toddler that fell to her death on a cruise ship. also, the big winter weather alert blizzard warnings issued tonight issued tonight. well...you said you wanted a new chair. earn unlimited 5% back on everything you buy at walmart online, including things for your new puppy. no no no no. we need a mop! and bleach. when you want all that, you need the capital one walmart rewards card. earn unlimited 5% back at walmart online and unlimited rewards everywhere else. what's in your wallet?

several suspected members of a white supremacist group are understand arrest tonight. four men from four states, arizona, texas and washington are accused of being racially motivated violent extremists the justice deputy says they conspired to intimidate journalists, especially those who were jewish or people of color we're tracking a major winter storm tonight. barrel from the midwest to the northeast.

millions under alerts and blizzard warnings for parts of new york. al roker is here al, what are you watching >> lester, we right now have 20 million people under some sort of winter weather advisory or warning and as you can see, we have rain making its way through the ohio river valley and snow back behind it here is what we expect heavy snow around the great lakes and rain or storms tomorrow tomorrow drifting snow in new england with strong winds, possible power outages, snowfall amounts fro eight inches to a foot from western new york to new england and look at airport delays, cleveland, portland, philly, burlington lester, a dangerous situation over the next 24 hours. we know you'll keep us posted, thanks. here in new york harvey weinstein is still in a hospital two days after he was found guilty of felony sex crimes there is no word on when the former hollywood producer will b transferred to the rikers island jail to await sentencing next month. a heartbreaking tragedy, a toddler falling to her death from a cruise ship window last summer in puerto rico as her

grandfather was holding her. today word that he plans to plead guilty in a deal with prosecutors. kerry sanders is following the case. >> reporter: since the day 18-month-old chloe wiegand plunged 11 stories to her death last july, her grand father caring for her at the time has said the fall out an open window on a royal caribbean cruise ship was an accident. sam anello plans to formally plead guilty to negligent homicide, his lawyer says he's reached a tentative agreement with prosecutors. in puerto rico where chloe died negligent homicide is misdemeanor punishable up to three years in prison anello hoping for probation releasing a statement i was placed in charge of keeping my beautiful granddaughter safe and i failed, adding, he's changing his plea to guilty to try to help end part of this nightmare for my family. >> it really was a feeling that if you could get a fair jury and go all the way through that he would be exonerated.

>> it's very hard to love someone who is gone. >> reporter: we spoke with chloe's parents in december. have you had a voice here >> we advised them we did not want any charges brought on him and they went ahead with it anyways. >> reporter: prosecutors say key to their cripplial case shipboard security footage. the family is suing the cruise line in civil court for negligence royal caribbean said it was not responsible for the tragedy, which anello says will always be a constant nightmare every day and every night for the rest of my life. adding i love you and miss you chloe, beyond measure. kerry sanders, nbc news. scary moments in the air when a cell phone charger caught fire in a passenger's bag aboard a united airlines plane today the flight from newark to the bahamas made an emergency landing. in florida officials say the fire was contained and the plane was inspected and took off again about an hour or so later.

in massachusetts a utility company blamed for a series of deadly gas explosions agreed to plead guilty to violating a federal pipeline safety law. colombia gas of massachusetts agreed to pay a record $53 million fine the explosions ripped through three towns north of boston in 2018 killing one person and injuring 22 others. coming up here tonight, taxpayers beware the major scams you need to look out for as tax season approaches a warning tonight on iphone 11 better is the people you share it with. so right now, switch to t-mobile and get 2 lines of unlimited for only $90 and 2 iphone 11s on us. all on our newest, most powerful signal that goes farther than ever before. hurry into t-mobile now and get 2 lines of unlimited for only $90 and 2 iphone 11s on us. only at t-mobile.

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a warning tonight as tax time is here about scammers who say they want to help you prepare your taxes but are really out to get your moneyyour money. vicki nguyen on what to look for, the price vicky nguyen on what to look for, the price you pay, your taxes. >> reporter: tax season is in full swing and so are the scammers out for your money. >> they're trying to steal your personal information, your social security number, financial data. >> reporter: the irs' jonathan larson says if the irs needs to contact you, it will reach out by mail first, not email, social media or telephone. >> if you receive a telephone call and then if they're threatening you, requesting immediate payment, that's not the way the irs operates don't take the bait. >> reporter: if an email looks to come from the irs, don't click links or open attachments a dangerous software could infect your computer and steal everything saved if you hire someone to do your taxes, check their references fake preparers can steal personal information and disappear.

what exactly is a ghost tax preparer >> these are individuals that are being paid to prepare tax returns but they are not signing their name as preparing the return. >> reporter: by the time you realize, the irs has no way to track them down and when your return is complete, review it with your tax preparer to make sure you know the numbers before sending it who is vulnerable? >> everyone. if you're online, if you're carrying around a smartphone in your pocket and getting on a computer, you need to be cautious. >> reporter: especially during tax season when thieves know you may let your guard down dealing with the irs >> you can't be too careful. up next, we'll hear from the hockey player whose heart stopped during a game. . >> reporter: especially during tax season when thieves know you may let your guard down. >> you can't be too careful. up next, we'll hear from the hockey player whose heart stopped during a game. blaf

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for the first time since his near-death experience at a hockey game just two weeks ago an nhl player iss life and what the future may speaking out about how it changed his life and what the future may hold for him kevin tibbles. >> reporter: his heart simply stopped. >> of course, the concern from both teams is palpable. >> reporter: nhl iron man jay bouwmeester, a defenseman with the st. louis blue collapsing during a game after what doctors describe as a cardiac episode. one he can't remember. quick-thinking medical staff performing cpr beside the bench eventually shocking his heart back to life

with a defibrillator fans in arenas throughout the league sent well wishes to the popular player simply called j-bo. >> the support the people have shown has been overwhelming. >> reporter: he has a defibrillator implanted, a small device that monitors the heart and shocks it if it stops beating. the devices are becoming more and more common 10,000 americans get them each month.e and more common. 10,000 americans get them each month. at 36 bouwmeestre has won it all but now his focus is on his family. the team says j-bo will not skate for the rest of the season spending time with those close to his heart before deciding if his heart will let him play again >> it is great to know jay is doing well now. that's "nightly news" for this wednesday. i'm lester holt, for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good night

right now at 6:00, a firebomb. a search for the man who threw it at a home in san jose. we now know who he was. what we learned about the man attacked while collecting cans in san francisco. late today president trump unveiled his plan to combat the spread of the coronavirus, while health officials reveal a new case in the bay area unlike any other in the united states.

the news at 6:00 starts right now. good evening and thanks for being with us. i'm raj mathai. >> and i'm jessica aguirre. a new case is sounding alarm tonight. it is the first one in the u.s. that appears to have been passed on through more casual contact with a carrier. the cdc says a new patient in solano county was just diagnosed and is being treated at a hospital in sacramento. now it turns out that patient didn't travel abroad or have close contact with anyone who did. other person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus in the u.s. have been between spouses or others with close contact. people, an east bay company says it has developed a tool that will prevent doctors and nurses from catching the coronavirus when treating infected patients. and it could prove critical as hospitals here prepare for possible outbreaks like the ones happening right now in other parts of the world. melissa colorado joins us now from berkeley with the very latest. melissa? >> reporter: well,